I wanted to run away, to shift back to human and escape. But I knew if I did, the consequences—for both of us—wouldn’t be good. So I stayed downwind from the dead buck and waited for Regan to return. I whined and whimpered, with my chin on my paws and my belly in the dirt. What would Dad say when I returned empty-handed? Probably nothing; the look in his eyes would say it all.
I didn’t want to think about it. I tried thinking about anything else, to take my mind off it. I wondered what Owen was doing right now. Probably something similar, though not with animals. I shuddered. As much as I enjoyed his company—preferred it to most of the werewolves I’d met so far—seeing Regan take down this buck had been a blatant reminder of Owen’s diet.
Something white caught my eye through the trees. I sat up, instantly alert. Whatever it was disappeared from view, shifting against the leaves and branches that separated us. It couldn’t be Regan, not with that pale coloring. I rose and wandered closer to the edges of the trees. Far out in the forest, where sunlight was dim and the trees were thick, something pale moved. The smell hit me just as I caught sight of a face.
Vampire.
It stared back at me, crimson eyes easily focused despite the distance that separated us. I blinked at him, too surprised to feel any malice or danger. I didn’t recognize the man, but he was clearly a vampire. His red eyes and pale—almost ghostly—complexion were easy to make out. He had a shock of dark hair that hung over his forehead. I wondered what he was doing out here, this far outside the vampire’s boundary. Was he after me? Or Regan? Was she in danger?
I hadn’t been afraid until that thought dawned on me. I couldn’t let Regan get hurt.
What if he knew about Owen and me? What if he was here to tell her? That scared me even more. It dawned me that Regan hadn’t smelled me during our shopping trip after all—she’d smelled this guy—our stalker. The realization didn’t make me feel much better.
I took a step. And another. I had every intention of chasing him down and forcing him to tell me what the heck he was doing out here. But then he stepped back and disappeared around the thick trunk of a tree. I paced back and forth, searching for a glimpse, a movement. But there was nothing. He was gone.
Behind me, branches quivered. The sound of leaves being flattened reached my ears. I ducked behind a hedge and lowered myself, ready to pounce on the newcomer, if necessary. A moment later, Regan appeared. She dragged the female—now dead—behind her. A thick trail of blood marked their path. She stopped in front of me and let the deer fall into the dirt between us. Its eyes were open and staring.
Regan bent down, nudging the carcass with her nose, eyes fastened to mine. Then, her message delivered, she turned and went to the buck, gathering a sizable amount of its flesh into her teeth. I wasn’t sure whether to be disgusted or grateful. In the end, I was both.
Somehow, despite the nausea that rolled in my stomach, I managed to drag the female deer through the woods and back to Dad. Everyone else was already there. Bevin and a couple of others looked impatient, but they stood and stared as Regan, and then I, appeared—dragging the deer in our mouths.
Carcasses littered the clearing. I tried not to look; the smell was enough. I dragged the deer as far as I could before the sight and smell grew to be too much. I dropped it into the dirt, resisting the urge to spit against the sharp tang of blood in my mouth.
“Well done, Regan,” Dad said. “Charlie, a deer your first time out. I’m impressed.”
I bowed my head as Regan’s form rippled at the edges and her human form reappeared. I could tell he was waiting for me to shift or at least to explain how I’d done it, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t my kill.
I’d failed. It would be much easier to withstand the humiliation as a wolf.
“Regan, you must be a good teacher,” Dad said.
“Thanks,” she said. I could feel them watching me, but I didn’t meet their eyes.
“Is Charlie okay? She hasn’t shifted back,” Dad said, talking about me as if I wasn’t even there. But I didn’t care. As long as they didn’t ask me about the kill.
“She’s fine. Just a little shaken,” Regan said. “I think she feels better as a wolf right now.”
Dad nodded. “Understandable after a first kill.” He looked down at the deer and then back at Regan. “The buck yours?” She nodded, her chest puffing out in obvious pride. “Hmm. A little messy, but it’ll do.”
He didn’t seem to notice Regan’s expression as it shuttered closed against his dismissal. “All right, everyone. Regan and Charlie are today’s challenge winners. You know what that means. PT time. Ten miles, the usual track. Everyone shifts. Stay clear of the boundary line and when you’re done, shower up. Get some rest for tomorrow. We’ll be tracking.”
A collective groan sounded. Dad ignored it. Bodies drifted toward the trail, shifting and shimmering as each one became their wolf.
Dad looked back at Regan and me. “You are both excused for the day.”
“Both of us?” Regan asked.
“Charlie’s had an eventful day, what with her first kill. And you won the challenge. I don’t mind excusing you both, just this once. But don’t fall behind in your workout schedule.”
“I won’t,” Regan muttered.
“Come see me at the office once you’re showered. I have some paperwork that needs looking over,” he told her.
She nodded her agreement and Dad patted me as he left. I tracked him with my eyes all the way out of the woods. Even then, I listened for the retreat of his footsteps long after they were silent. When I was sure he was gone, I shifted.
“Thank you,” I said.
Regan looked up from where she’d been gathering handfuls of moss. “Whatever.”
“I’m serious. You didn’t have to go after that deer for me. And you didn’t have to cover for me with Dad. I appreciate it.”
“It was just as much for me as for you.” She continued her moss gathering.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Someone will be here to retrieve the animals. Recover what meat is good for eating and skin them for blankets and such. We don’t waste when we can avoid it,” she explained.
“And the moss?” I asked.
She knelt over the buck and began layering the moss over its body like a blanket. “It keeps the animal fresh and the bugs out until someone can get over here.”
“Is that our job?” I asked, kneeling to help her with the female without waiting for an answer.
Regan worked in silence for a moment and then said quietly, “A good alpha doesn’t take a day off, even when it’s offered.”
The words sounded recited, memorized. I wondered which of her parents had told her and then realized it was probably both.
We worked in silence for a few minutes, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the differences in our childhoods. Regan seemed to have a soft spot for her mom but our dad was harsh, especially to Regan. We finished with the moss and rose together. I dusted my hands on my pants, remembering too late the layer of blood underneath the dirt. My hands came away streaked in dirty blood. The sight of it coating my hands reminded me of the vampire I’d spotted earlier. I opened my mouth, fully intent on telling Regan about him, but then thought better of it.
If I did that, it would only perpetuate her belief that Owen’s people had killed her mother. Or bring me one step closer to exposing my secret friendship. I decided neither one was a smart move. Not today.
Her expression set with satisfaction, Regan moved toward the trail that led home and I followed, my thoughts drifting back to our dad and his cold reaction to Regan earlier. It bothered me to see her hurting. Finally, I couldn’t hold back any longer. “I get that he’s hard to please, but why do you try so hard?” I asked.
She stopped mid-step and stood there for a long moment, shoulders stiff. Slowly, she turned to face me. For a split second, her expressed was pained. No, that wasn’t right. Injured, maybe. I remembered how Dad had brushed off her win today. How he always seemed to do that with her. But then whatever vulnerability she’d allowed to show vanished. In its place was a coldness I’d only ever seen her use on the vamps. Her enemies.
“Not having a dad, you wouldn’t understand,” she said icily.
Then she turned on her heel and strode off.
I blinked, more surprised by her sudden change in demeanor than anything. Slowly, the cut her words left behind opened until it became a deep slice.
If I’d been tempted let my guard down and attempt a sisterly bond, Regan’s comment cured me. I ran for home, not caring who saw the hot tears streaming down my cheeks.